When the visit was announced, the Trib asked our bureau to write the story. My beat is the White House and presidential politics. But my editor David Meeks and I are both football fans with vivid memories of the ’85 Bears, the “Super Bowl Shuffle” and some of the terrific characters who played for that team.

Dave suggested we write a piece that goes beyond a pro forma report on the event itself. He suggested we talk to the players and find out how their lives have played out. Many are doing great. Willie Gault, at age 50, is still running the 40 yard dash in 4.3 seconds. That’s plenty fast even by today’s standards.

But some of the stars are no longer with us. Walter Payton died young. And early this year, Dave Duerson killed himself as he struggled with a brain disease triggered by traumatic hits to the head.

That took me deeper into the sad reality of ex-NFL players suffering from the same disease. I had a revealing interview with Duerson’s ex-wife, Alicia, who told me about his condition and how “ecstatic’’ he would have been to go to the White House. Alicia will be attending the ceremony on Friday in Duerson’s stead.

The story was a reminder of how lucky we are to do this work. In what other line of work do you have license to call up members of the ’85 Bears, ask them about their lives, and tell their story?